As the world's best riders prepare to tackle the Vuelta a Espana, we unearth
cycling holidays that feature key sections of the 2013 route.

The Vuelta a España, the last of professional cycling's annual Grand Tours (the others being the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia), begins in Galicia on Saturday.

While generally considered the least important of the three, the race still attracts some of the best riders in the world. Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador took the overall title last year, thanks to an audacious attack on stage 17, and this year's contenders include fellow Spaniards Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodríguez (second and third, respectively, in last year's race).

Italians Vincenzo Nibali and Ivan Basso (both multiple Grand Tour winners), Irish climber Daniel Martin, and Team Sky's two talented young Colombians, Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao, may also challenge for top honours.

British interest, however, will be limited, with just a pair of sprint prospects - Team Sky's Luke Rowe and Andrew Fenn of Omega Pharma Quickstep - expected to take part.

This year's course is particularly challenging, featuring 11 uphill finishes, including the devilishly steep Alto de L’Angliru on stage 20. The professionals will cover the race's 2,062 miles in just three weeks. But for mere mortals hoping to emulate them, we've unearthed some more manageable cycling holidays that feature key sections of the 2013 route.

The first four stages of this year's race take place in Galicia, the region to the north of Portugal. Given the recent rail disaster in Santiago de Compostela, stage four - which passes directly through the city - is likely to be poignant affair.

Telegraph Travel's Louise Roddon described Santiago as a "good-looking city of Baroque squares, Romanesque churches and Renaissance courtyards," that is "surprisingly lively, with affordably priced restaurants and a buzzing bar scene." The city's cathedral attracts thousands of pilgrims each year.

Pontevedra and Baiona will also be visited on the opening stages. Our correspondent Fred Mawer says Pontevedra has a "lovely old quarter" that is "far less touristy than Santiago de Compostela's". "A maze of streets connects half a dozen pretty squares whose arcaded mansions sport elegant wrought-iron balconies and heraldic coats of arms," he adds. "There are no must-see sights. Come instead in the evening for a tapas crawl – the best-placed tables are on Praza da Lena." Fred describes Baiona as "Galicia's most appealing resort", with "attractive beaches" and medieval walls.

Headwater's seven-night Camino de Santiago cycling tour will take you from León to Santiago, travelling a very civilised 30-40 miles a day. From £1,514 per person, including flights, transfers and bed and breakfast accommodation. Departs October 5. See www.headwater.com

Extremadura

Stages 6 and 7 see the professionals enter Extremadura, birthplace of the conquistadors Cortés and Pizarro, and home to a large number of paradors - luxury hotels located in heritage properties. The inimitable Anthony Peregrine visited the region for Telegraph Travel last year:

He wrote: "I was standing on the square of Trujillo, looking up at the statue of Francisco Pizarro and wondering: 'Just what kind of mincemeat would he have made of Mrs Merkel?' There was a time when Spaniards didn’t take any nonsense from the rest of the world. They were conquering much of it. Pizarro himself vanquished the Incas with, it is said, 180 men and 27 horses. Cortés didn’t have many more when he bagged Mexico. One may imagine how they might have reacted to diktats from Brussels or Berlin."

Away From The Crowds has a six-night "Cycling the Land of Conquistadors" tour, travelling from Oropesa to Caceras. En route is the Monfrague National Park, known for its birdlife, and Trujillo. Accommodation includes five different paradors. From £760, not including flights. See www.awayfromthecrowds.com.

The riders head south for stages 8, 9 and 10, to Andalusia, a region of pueblos blancos (white towns), hilltop forts, and spectacular walking trails.

Major cities along the route include Jerez, known for its annual flamenco festival and prancing horses, and Granada, home to the Alhambra palace.

"Part fortress, part palace, part water garden, the Alhambra is a pinnacle of Moorish art that encapsulates Andalusian history and is one of the great architectural sights of Europe," says Natasha Edwards, in her comprehensive guide for visitors.

Saddle Skedaddle's one-week self-guided White Villages of Andalucia package starts and ends in Jerez, and includes accommodation in Juzcar (famous for having its white houses painted blue for the Smurfs movie), and Ronda (a tourist magnet known for its dramatic location, Arab baths, ornate cathedral, and literary links). From £855 per person, not including flights. See www.skedaddle.co.uk

Catalonia

Stages 12 and 13 take place in Catalonia, home to the best restaurant in the world, El Celler de Can Roca, some of Spain's prettiest settlements (including Cadaques, the seaside town that inspired Salvador Dalí), and perhaps its most hip city, Barcelona (click here to read our expert guide).

The climbing begins in earnest on September 7, with the first of three stages in the Pyrenees, including excursions into France and Andorra. The riders will be asked to tackle the Port de Envalira (2,410m), the Coll de Ordino (1,980m) and the Collada de la Gallina (1,550m) on stage 14; the Puerto de la Bonaigua (2,090m), the Col du Port de Bailes (1,770m), and the Col de Peyresourde (1,570m) on stage 15; and the Sallent de Gallego (1,800m) on stage 16.

After a dash across the northern regions of Castile and Cantabria, including a stop at Burgos and the sharp ascent of the Pena Cabarga - where this year's Tour de France winner Chris Froome took stage honours in 2011 - the riders reach Asturias. The region is known for its fine cuisine, while excellent hiking can be found among the stunning mountains of the Picos de Europa.

Stage 19 concludes in Oviedo, the regional capital and home to some fine religious architecture, but it's stage 20 which will have cycling fans rubbing their hands in anticipation. The stage finishes atop the Alto de l’Angliru, one of sport's most gruelling climbs. Riders must ascend 1,266 metres in just 12.5 kilometres, with the gradient touching 25 per cent in places. Not all the professionals are fans of the climb. After its appearance in the 2002 Vuelta, when some support cars stalled in the rain and were unable to restart, one team manager said: "What do they want? Blood? They ask us to stay clean and avoid doping and then they make the riders tackle this kind of barbarity."

Saddle Skedaddle offers a one-week mountain biking tour of the Pico de Europa, with accommodation in "cosy" mountain huts. From £965 per person. See www.skedaddle.co.uk

If you really want to tackle the Angliru, base yourself in Oviedo, take the N-630 road to Mieras and turn right onto the AS-231 to Las Mazas and La Vega (Riosa). From the latter follow signs to the Sierra del Aramo and Grandiella. And hope for the best.